Perashat Lekh Lekha 5776

Perashat Lekh Lekha 5776

A historic Perasha like Perashat Lekh Lekha acquires a greater significance and meaning when it is read in the land that it describes. It is not the same reading the Perasha and being six thousand miles away from those places that Abraham walked and passed by.
 
I have the privilege to be presently in Israel, in the land that G-d promised to Abraham to give to him and his descendants. Being here and experiencing the land, brings to life the words of the Perasha and indeed of the entire Bible - Tanakh! 
 
As a delegate to the World Zionist Congress representing the Sephardic Community of the United States, I was joined by over 600 people from around the world who fulfilled the "Lekh Lekha" command and left our countries, our homelands and our father's home to come and show our support to the State of Israel and participate in assuring the future, viability and continuity of the Israel. 
 
Many of you may remember that many months ago I urged you to vote so we could represent all of you at the 37th World Zionist Congress. Well, you elected four delegates to the Congress and here we are, my wife Estie, Rabbi David Bibi, Rabbi Sion Setton and myself representing all of you. The first Zionist Congress took place in 1897 organized by Theodore Herzl with the intention to inform the Jewish People about the idea of a Jewish State. This Jewish State would later be rebuilt in the ancestral home of the Jewish People, in the Land of Israel.  Thank G-d, now over 118 years later, we have a State of Israel, 67 years young, thriving, successful, prosperous, strong, and a leader in the world in many many areas. Unfortunately, Theodore Herzl, did not live long enough to see his dream become true.
 
Theodore Herzl, in his own way heeded the call, just as our Patriarch Abraham answered G-d's call to go then, to the Land of Canaan and establish himself there, for, "to you I shall give it and to your descendants forever". G-d promises Abraham that, "I will bless those who bless you, and whomever curses you, I will curse".  Indeed, a powerful blessing and prophecy. 
 
If you take a brief tour for the past 3500 years of world history, whether it was Pharaoh, the absolute ruler of Egypt, the most powerful Empire of the day, or the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, or Haman, the powerful Prime Minister of the mighty Persian Empire, or the Greek, the Romans, the Ottomans, the Spaniards, the Czars, or the Nazis. All of these individuals, empires or nations had two things in common; they all attacked and oppressed the Jewish people and they all eventually vanished from the face of the Earth. Israel and the Jews on the other hand, remain against all odds, a tiny island of democracy, thriving amid a sea of tyranny and terror. This is not a coincidence; G-d's Divine hand protects Israel. Israel will still be around in 25 years, with G-d's help, but the Iranian regime on the other hand, will most likely go to the dustbin of history. By seeking Israel's destruction, all her enemies have signed their own death warrant. So too, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Quaida, the Muslim Brotherhood, and all the rest will vanish, just as Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler did before them. Nation after nation still refuse to believe the promise that G-d made to Abraham 4000 years ago, "I will bless those who bless you, and whomever curses you, I will curse".  G-d further promised the Jewish People through the Prophet Joel (3:2), "I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There, I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land". 
 
Those are the nations of the world, who today delegitimize, denigrate and demonize Israel and the Jews. They will be the ones taken to task and judged for their ill treatment of the Jews and Israel. All those individuals and people who pass resolutions to condemn Israel and support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, will face G-d's judgment. And those international organizations who abetted and support the enemies of Israel by passing resolutions taking away the heritage of Israel and the Jewish people, be it in Arab lands or in Israel, namely the Tombs of the Patriarchs, the Tomb of Rachel and of Joseph, will be reminded of their inequities sooner than later, for it says clearly, "and whomever curses you I will curse".
 
We have seen how countries and nations who helped, supported and welcomed the Jews and Israel, were blessed and continue to thrive. We have seen with our own eyes, how the United States has been blessed, and is thriving and will continue to thrive as long as it supports Israel, for it says, "I will bless those who bless you". 
 
Let us hope and pray that all those nations and people open their eyes, understand in their mind and allow their heart to see and feel those Divine blessings as they support and bless the Jewish People and Israel.
 
Shabbat Shalom from the Holy City of Jerusalem